Labor Unions in Hospitals

Organizing and other labor union activity in the hospitals has drawn increasing attention for many years. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the largest and oldest professional association of registered nurses in the USA (Martin, 2001). The ANA and state nurses associations are committed to the rights of registered nurses (RN), the largest group of health professionals. The ANA represents registered nurses through organizing and bargaining collectively. The ANA is definitely for creation of labor unions in hospitals (â€Å"Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses†, 1998). This paper focuses on the development of these unions and outlines that union activity has an important role for nurses in addressing the benefits and salaries and in providing the appropriate care for patients. Labor Unions in Hospitals The leadership of formal nursing organizations historically reviewed labor unions and labor legislation with suspicion, if not with direct distaste. In the early of the 20th century, the American Nurses Association (ANA) did not consider the nursing discipline as a profession and its practitioners as professionals (D'Antonio, n.d.). On the contrary, practicing clinical nurses were somewhat more receptive to the idea of unions. The Nurses Associated Alumnae, founded in 1896, became the American Nurses Association in 1911, and nurses successfully lobbied for strict registration credentials. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.)   But the initial registration laws were voluntary (D'Antonio, n.d.).   Nurses joined together at the end of century to fight the lack of standardization among quickly development of nursing schools, hard working conditions and exploitation of nursing students. Nurses also sought a means to work together in a professional organization to establish a code of ethics, elevate nursing standards and promote the nurses interests. The first nurse staffing ratios were set by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War. The first permanent hospitals were established during that war—but it wasn't until 1872 that America could boast its first professionally trained nurse, Linda Richards. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.) During the early 20th century, nurses joined other workers looking for such benefits as an eight-hour workday and paid vacations. By the 1930s, ANA and state nurses associations were considering the question of unionization for nurses — a responsibility ANA confirmed in 1946. During the 1920s and 1930s many nurses left the private-duty labor market to work in hospitals (D'Antonio, n.d.) They saw that the professionalization rhetoric did not forward their fight to control the quality as well as the conditions of their day-to-day work. Gradually the unionization idea helped to some hospitals' nursing staffs to secure contracts that improved wages and hours worked. In the early 1940s state nurses' associations, without the support of the ANA that was opposed to formal organizing, began their own collective bargaining units (D'Antonio, n.d.).   But in 1946 the ANA formally sanctioned the idea of â€Å"professional† collective bargaining by its constituent state nurses' associations (D'Antonio, n.d.). In the post-World War II era nurses gained contract after contract.   Also in 1946 the ANA began the establishment of its Economic and General Welfare Program (â€Å"The Role of Collective Bargaining and Unions in Advancing the Profession of Nursing†, 1998). That decision was made because of some of the same problems that nurses and nursing continue to face and from a desire to use collective wisdom and strength to effect necessary change. Nurses were represented on a national level as well, including a decades-long battle against the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act that left private RNs without coverage under the National Labor Relations Act. Since then, collective bargaining has provided for significant accomplishments in salaries, benefits, and the professional practice of nurses. Historically, the nursing profession has worked to assure the public of   its commitment to their health needs through the establishment of professional licensure, practice standards and guidelines, and a code of ethics. Nurses have moved from the hospital into academe, research, long-term care, community and home health, school systems, the legislature, the military, law, and entrepreneurial enterprise.   Each avenue broadens professional perspective and adds value to the body of expertise and influence. By the late 1960s the trade union movement had again resurfaced as a strategy for professional autonomy and economic security (D'Antonio, n.d.). Unions such as Local 1199 of the Hospital Workers Union reorganized to allow nurses separate guilds; and strikes, although deeply regretted, were no longer unthinkable tactics (D'Antonio, n.d.). ; Labor unions representing nurses In the past 20 years, nurses in hospitals and health care agencies all over the world have unionized in an effort to achieve   appropriate wages and benefits based upon the skill level and risk involved in successfully fulfilling their job responsibilities (Klein, n.d.). There are some examples of active unions representing nurses. The UFCW (United Food and Commercial Workers Union)   represents nearly 40,000 working men and women in the health care profession in the North America who work in hospitals, nursing homes, medical and dental laboratories, and home health care (Klein, n.d.). Members include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, unit assistants, certified nursing assistants, pharmacists, technicians, and caretakers. This union claims to have improved safety in the workplace and tackled a myriad of important issues, including restructurings, staffing levels, and compensation. Additionally, to being committed to workplace issues, the UFCW periodically sponsors training and education seminars to promote professional development among health care employees. The United Nurses of America represents 45,000 registered and licensed practical nurses and is an AFSCME affiliate (Klein, n.d.). AFSCME is the voice for 360,000 health care employees, 76,000 of whom are nurses   (Klein, n.d.).   For its members, AFSCME provides training programs, information on workplace violence, a health and safety newsletter and fact sheets, and updates on union actions. The ANA has also created the new United American Nurses (UAN) to strengthen collective bargaining states' efforts to retain and recruit members. Now, according to the ANA, 24 states or U.S. territories have collective bargaining for nurses; 29 do not (the total of 53 includes Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia) (Hellinghausen, 1999).   Today's   UAN, the nation's largest union of staff RNs, began from the nurse unionization movement before World War II. (â€Å"United American Nurses, AFL-CIO†, n.d.) For more than 50 years, nurses, through their state nurses associations, have organized to advocate for fair wages, good working conditions and staffing levels that ensure patient safety. State nurses associations struggled for state measures to pick up the slack, and the 1974 health care amendments to the NLRA finally extended such protections. Amendments to the NLRA passed in 1983 extended Social Security coverage to non-profit workers. The United American Nurses' forerunner, the Institute of Constituent Member Collective Bargaining Programs, met for the first time in September 1990. Nurses' efforts through the Institute to find the solutions of workplace problems led to the organisation of a separate labor arm of ANA—the United American Nurses—in 1999. The UAN held its first National Labor Assembly in June 2000, as representatives of 100,000 nurses working under collective bargaining agreements elected Cheryl Johnson as the union's first president and Ann Converso as the union's first vice president. UAN affiliated with the AFL-CIO in 2001. With the addition of the UAN, the AFL-CIO represent now 1.2 million health care workers. (Martin, 2001) AFL-CIO unions bargain to provide health insurance for more than 40 million workers and family members –   accounting for one out of every four Americans with employment-based coverage. Johnson of the UAN said nurses are organizing into unions at an increased pace to gain a voice on the job and on behalf of quality patient care, and that giving nurses a voice can address the nationwide staffing crisis. Now the UAN has offered strike support on a national level to nurses on the picket line; provided media training, organizing assistance and collective bargaining help through the annual Labor Leader Institute; provided a massive and meticulous contract information database to state nurses associations and nurse leaders; and provided testimony to national leaders on patient care, staffing and other issues. Problems of nursing unions In fact, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is â€Å"wed† to organized labor and in some states, such as California and Michigan, the state Nurses Associations act as labor unions. (â€Å"Subject:Union Debate†, 2003) Most labor unions and Nurses' Associations claim that by organizing nurses, they can increase salaries, improve benefits and working conditions, and draw more nurses into the profession. It sounds plausible, but a union cannot address the real underlying problem: Money. Unions cannot produce revenue. They can only extract dollars from the healthcare system. Nurses' salaries and benefits are typically a hospital's greatest expense. A hospital's primary source of revenue is from reimbursement for patient services. While hospital operating costs have steadily gone up, reimbursement for patient services by Medicare, Medicaid, and insurance have not kept up with increased operating costs. In a February 13, 2003 Press Release by the American Hospital Association (AHA), entitled â€Å"Rising Demand, Increasing Costs of Caring Fuel Hospital Spending,† rising hospital cost is cited as one the primary drivers of an increase in hospitals' spending (â€Å"Subject: Union Debate†, 2003). While organized labor would lead to believe there is an increased need for unionization, their popularity has declined. In our nation's past history, organized labor played an important role in ensuring employee safety in the workplace. Currently, standards for employee safety have been established by Occupational Safety & Hazard Association (OSHA), Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and other regulatory and accrediting bodies. Therefore, the need for unions has declined. Especially because recent changes in healthcare have subjected nurses to the effects of cost cutting, shuffled duties and reorganization, not to mention a chronic nursing shortage. Just 17% of the nation’s 2.2 million RNs belong to unions, and labor groups are looking to nursing to boost their dwindling ranks (Salcedo, n.d.). Two AFL-CIO affiliated unions actively pursuing nurses are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). There have been several instances of already formed collective bargaining units represented by the state nurses’ association switching to AFL-CIO affiliated unions. The American Nurses Association is reeling from the defections, including the defection of the 20,000 member CNA from the ANA in 1995 (Salcedo, n.d.). The California affiliate complained that the national leadership wasn’t doing enough to combat layoffs and staff shortages. (Jaklevic, 1999) Each state nurses association (except now California) is a member of the ANA. Each state nurses association is divided into two branches, a policy branch and a collective bargaining branch. The ANA is loudly protesting that â€Å"only nurses should represent nurses†, however, unions such as the SEIU charge that the associations are much more geared toward policy making and academic issues than collective bargaining. So, there is currently a critical shortage of nurses in USA. As long as nurses continue to feel disenfranchised, unprotected and under siege by doctors and health care administrators, interest in unions will grow stronger. Nurses organize not only to protect themselves, but also to protect the patients under their care, as evidenced by the recent activity regarding staffing levels and acuity systems. As an example, nurses, traditionally uninterested in the distractions of organized labor, are showing new eagerness to embrace unions (Seeman, 2000). But rather than objecting to pay scales or benefits plans, experts say, they are aiming more often at working conditions – depleted staffs, reduced time with patients, jobs that increasingly intrude upon their personal lives. Union membership is rising. The string of strikes in 1999 – 21 – was five times the number just four years earlier. (Seeman, 2000). More than 1,000 nurses are currently off the job. (Seeman, 2000). In California, union nurses have pushed lawmakers to guarantee more nurses on hospital floors. Hospital officials and insurers characterized the grievances as understandable but difficult to assuage. Current health care dynamics, they said, are testing the limits of all segments of the industry. What's unknown is whether nurses' relationship with labor will gain more momentum, and what long-term effects that might have on the nation's medical network. In the early part of the decade, with the price of health care soaring, managed care gained currency as a strategy to encourage competition and control costs. Insurers notified hospitals that reimbursements for medical treatments would decline. That prompted hospitals to squeeze budgets, including the money spent on nurses, who typically represent about a quarter of a hospital's work force. Hospital patients, meanwhile, grew sicker. Diseases that might have been fatal in an earlier age now left patients alive but ailing. Hospitals, under pressure to save money, discharged the less sick patients to focus on the direly ill. Technology made nursing much more complicated. In the past three years, about 15,000 nurses have become unionized by joining the Service Employees International Union. (Seeman, 2000).   About 105,000 nurses now belong. (Seeman, 2000). Another 170,00 belong to the American Nurses Association (Seeman, 2000).   Of those, about 60 percent use the organization for collective bargaining, according to the ANA. (Seeman, 2000). The overall numbers remain relatively small. Only about 15 percent of America's 2.6 million nurses are unionized, according to government and industry estimates. (Seeman, 2000). The BNA, echoing the nurses unions, said that walk-outs are more likely rooted in complaints about mandatory overtime, inadequate staffing and worries about patient care. In California, the new law supported by union nurses requires the state to set nurse-to-patient ratio standards for general, psychiatric and special hospitals. Hospitals will also be banned from requiring unlicensed employees from performing traditional nursing duties such as giving medicine or assessing treatment. The bill was signed in October by Gov. Gray Davis. Its requirements were phased in through 2002. (Seeman, 2000). Massachusetts, meanwhile, has become very important for union activity. The Massachusetts Nurses Association persuaded about 1,550 nurses at five hospitals to unionize in a 12-month period in 1997-'98, according to Judith Shindul-Rothschild, associate professor at the Boston College School of Nursing. (Seeman, 2000). So, administrators should try to understand nurses. If to give the possibility to nurses to effectively care for their patients, half the battle is won. Better healthcare would mean better labor management relationships. Conclusion So, the American Nurses Association (ANA), along with its constituent state nurses associations, has a decades-long responsibility to the right of registered nurses, the largest group of health professionals, to represent through organizing and bargaining collectively, in labor unions (â€Å"Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses†, 1998). Such activity can play an important role in addressing wages as well as benefits, and the many employment conditions that have a direct bearing on nurses' ability to practice their profession and to grant the highest quality care for their patients. One of the most essential problems of unions is that there are no â€Å"guarantees† as to what will be included in a contract between management and the bargaining unit. Everything depends on contract negotiations. In other words, nurses may achieve less salary and/or benefits than before unionization. Still, unionism is only one of some options to ensure nurses' control over their practice. For nursing always has and always will need different organizing alternatives, whether through unions or specialized practice associations. References 1. D'Antonio, P.   (n.d.). Labor Unions: Nurses' Unions. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wm_019610_nursesunions.htm 2. Hellinghausen, M. A. (1999, August 9) ANA's creation of labor entity worried the TNA. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nurseweek.com/features/99-8/tex-ana.html 3.Jaklevic, M. (1999, July 5). Associations join pro-union ranks’ Doc, nurse organizations want to give their members a stronger voice, new services. Modern Healthcare, 6. 4. Klein, J. A. (n.d.). Unions in Nursing. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nursingnetwork.com/union.htm 5. Martin, S. (2001, June 28) Largest Independent Nurses Union Votes to Affiliate with the AFL-CIO. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/pressrel/2001/uan_afl.htm 6. Physicians and Unions: Implications for Registered Nurses. (1998, September) Vol. 3, No. 9. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/readroom/nti/9809nti.htm  © 2004 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved 7. Salcedo, K. (n.d.). Labor Unions and Nursing. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.oppapers.com/print.php?id=33122;idenc=KxyHiuJa 8. Seeman, B. T. (2000) Working Conditions Drive Hospital Nurses Toward Unions. Newhouse News Service. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.newhouse.com/archive/story1a041300.html 9. Subject: Union Debate. (2003, February 24) Nurses for Preservation of Professional Ethics (NPPE). Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.nppe.org/dialog34.htm 10.The Role of Collective Bargaining and Unions in Advancing the Profession of Nursing. (1998, February)   Vol. 3, No. 2. Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://www.needlestick.org/readroom/nti/9802nti.htm  © 2004 The American Nurses Association, Inc. All Rights Reserved United American Nurses, AFL-CIO. (n.d.) Retrieved July 10, 2004, from   http://nursingworld.org/uan/uanhistory.htm  © 2004 The United American Nurses and The

Looking for Richard Review

A freezing winter morning it was, the breeze beating against my chest makes me wonder†¦ Wait, how did I get here? I thought I was reading Pacino’s Looking for Richard Review? That’s exactly what you’re doing, and this pleasant surprise is about all the insight I can give you about the fantasy sto†¦ I mean ‘docudrama type thing’. Yes ‘Docudrama type thing’ as described personally by the narrator Al Pacino. The opening scene with the cold winter background, leave less grounds and the grey skies that was alluded to above, is a direct connection to the opening soliloquy exerted by Richard in Shakespeare’s Richard III, â€Å"Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York†¦ â€Å". In the same scene Pacino also juxtaposes modern buildings with classic castles, and Shakespearean literature (The Tempest), with the wintery background, successfully achieving to render a connection between Shakespeare and Looking for Richard. Witt? Yes, Pacino? Yes, Fail? Maybe so, Success? I don’t know. The same confusion is attained by the seemingly unorthodox construction of the scenes. The postmodern structure, in exclusion of the chronological storyline, is brilliant in its construction, linking scenes from the Richard III film by association to video footage outside the story. Intertextualising makes the story of Richard III much more accessible to its audiences who are now in cinema’s and not in theatres. This juxtaposition is brilliantly achieved in one scene, where Al Pacino’s flat cap is transformed to a crown as the scene translates from Al Pacino in America to Richard in England making a direct correlation with Richard III play. Intertextualising, is also used as to propagate a message, such as at the occurrence of King Edwards death, where scenes of Edwards death dramatised by orchestral music, the weeping of Elizabeth and her deeply dispirited face, is juxtaposed with a group of people chatting over tea. This blot of humor is a means of revealing a message to the audience. In this case that is: ‘no one really cares about Edwards death’, this story is about RICHARD! In contrast within the Globe theatre in Shakespeare England, this lamenting is expressed in lexicon. This is the case, due to the fact that rear occupants of the Globe Theatre, wouldn’t be able to hear nor make much meaning of vocal outburst (crying), but if expressed in words, they can. Although somewhat confusing, the engaging effect that the swift transfer from practice, to costume, to street, to passionate discussions between actors and experts, where by the way, we are invited, just ask the camera angles†¦ is a complement to Pacino’s directorial abilities, this of coarse being his first go. Pacino’s main concern in this docudrama really is the correct representation of Shakespearean drama that would satisfy the ‘re-incarnated’ Shakespeare god. This aspect of the docudrama is embedded right at the beginning, as Pacino opens the curtains to the stage, only to be faced by an audience of one (Shakespeare), but the voice of this one man outweighs the voice of any audience of men. Pacino seems to be stating that it’s more about loyalty to Shakespeare more than entertainment for the audience, although both play a significant role. You think that you are communicating but the other person hasn't understood a word you said† â€Å"You think that you are communicating but the other person hasn't understood a word you said† On the other hand, there is also the underlining purposes of making Shakespeare accessible to the masses and prove that Americans can in fact preform Shakespeare. With wit, Pacino fuses these two purposes on the streets of New York. The audience swung from a statement of a man who claims to have been reading Shakespeare for 6 months yet having attained nothing! Arrives at a woman who questions Pacino saying, ‘Are you going to make a film about Shakespeare in that American accent? ’ In this clever way, Pacino wittingly captures and frames, and gift-wraps the underlining agenda’s of the documentary, and then hands it to you. But blinking could mean the difference of receiving the gift or not. But then again, the rewind button can repeat the process these days†¦. what a shame. In Shakespeare England of coarse this wasn’t a possibility. Shakespeare engulfed in his ‘world of words’, asserted the literal device of dramatic irony enabled by the use of soliloquies to instill certain meanings. With modern technological capabilities Pacino is not enforced into a corner of limited opportunities. This is witnessed by audiences in the portrayal of ‘the wooing of Anne’. Pacino, unwilling to dull the modern audience with constant soliloquies has himself out of character acting as a psychopath, informing the audience of his actual motifs of attaining Anne, while at the same time wooing her. Barbara Everette very fittingly to this scene defined irony as ‘hypocrisy with style’. In this scene also, close ups are extensively applied to reveal intimacy which is complemented by the whispering the takes place. Demonstrating the differences in English today and that of the 16th century, an actor comments,’ Today ‘people say, â€Å"Hey you, go over there, get that thing, and bring it back to me†, but Shakespeare would say, â€Å"Be mercury, set feathers to thy heels, and fly like thought from them to me again. † But Pacino by visiting The Globe Theatre, and interviewing specialist in English literature expresses his desire to pinpoint the meaning and understand the play in order to apply it wholesomely, to the satisfaction of Shakespeare and the comprehension of modern audiences, which he values more than the literature. It has always been a dream of mine to communicate how I feel about Shakespeare to others. † ‘It has always been a dream of mine to communicate how I feel about Shakespeare to others. † Burdened with the agenda’s that he carries, Pacino is obliged to make constant connections with the context and play of Richard III. Not onl y is this achieved in the opening scene, but throughout the play as Pacino and co, are progressing down the alley’s of New York in the dictatorial fashion perse, Elizabethan harmonies are softly echoed through the scenery. As some will acknowledge, Richards deformity in Richard III, contextually inferred a meaning on inner evil and defilement, allowing the audience to attain the image that Shakespeare paints about the character. In the modern era, this idea seems absurd, and the change in context means that Richard has overwhelmed in black clothing, in order to infer the message that his deformity would have had 5 centuries ago. To reflect, the perspective of Richard III, within the play, Pacino has constructed the film to be in the perspective of Richard. Not only that but Pacino has managed to maintain the sense of admiration and awe the audience attains as Richards schemes succeed within the play. A particular scene conveys this message in great depth. As Richard in his deformed nature walks to the two princes and co. who are on horses, he casts a sympathetic feeling upon the audience. Yet although he is the lower one within the scene contrastingly, he is the one who is manipulating the situation, he’s the one has dominion and power. This dominion of Richard, is reflected also as Richard refers to Clarence as ‘simple and plain’, while in the play he is the complicated, and diverse traitor. Although a short period of time seems, the time associated with making this film, from the Pacino’s constantly changing appearance (short hair combined with a beard in one scene, no facial hair with long, flowing locks in the next), it is worthy to note that, this film took years to piece together. For those, who haven’t read Richard the Third, and are looking to read it, I would advise a thorough analysis of this docudrama be done, as that would foster the knowledge of the context, and text, story line and motifs, of Richard III. Many aspects of Richard III such as’ Richards character and the allure of evil, have been maintained, though it is vital to note that the Christian motivated themes, such as; the value of earthly wealth and the battle within (conscience) have been annihilated in this play. This, I assume, is a result of context of the modern era, and Pacino’s personal persuasions. Among the actors who take part of the play are Alec Baldwin as Clarence, Kevin Spacey as Buckingham, Aidan Quinn as Richmond and Winona Ryder as Lady Anne. Expert Shakespearean actors also are sprinkled all over Looking for Richard, to, with great enthusiasm discuss the proceedings of each scene, and to cast judgment upon the best means of loyal representation. Kenneth Branagh, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, Kevin Kline, and James Earl Jones fill these shoes. Pacino, when developing this film, made it for ‘the dummies and extremists’, for the ignorant and for Shakespeare’s modern day students. From talking heads (experts in English history and literature), to homeless fella’s, from peasants to kings, you’re all invited, come and enjoy, Shakespeare is for all. Really is the statement Pacino puts forth in this film, emulating history in relation to the inclusive dimensions of Shakespeare’s plays, within The Globe Theatre.

Emergent bilingual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergent bilingual - Essay Example This group of individuals is born outside the country and speaks a different language other than English in their respective homes. They have insufficient mastery of English language that can help them meet the country’s standards and pass in any English test. (pg. 87 line 1-8) Garcia 2009 asserts that in most of today’s society, the most misunderstood issue in our education system is how the students who speak other languages that are not English related will be educated. Calling children this term of emergent bilinguals creates a positive characteristic as compared to the earlier term of English language learners that were used to refer to this group of individuals. This term does not suggest that these children have a limitation, but it suggests that they have the potential of developing bilingualism. These groups of children are noted to have an advantage over those children who only speaks English as their language, and they have difficulties in becoming bilinguals (pg. 322 lines 1-27). Bilinguals are known to can develop academic English if they are to be given the same opportunities on socioeducation as the other white children who are wealthy. A new curriculum and pedagogy that is equitable must adapt to the needs of emergent bilinguals. The inclusive curriculum that is challenging for emergent bilinguals must be adaptive ecologically as bilingual students, and biliteracy emerge. In early childhood, emergent bilingual at one point must have been given the opportunity to interact with caring adults and apart from speaking their home languages; they do understand their cultural practices. These adults also guided their bilingual development through providing the children with opportunities to practice how to speak and use English language. The language that the child is to use must occur in the home of the child’s language (GarciÃŒ a & Kleifgen,

The Punjab Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Punjab Conflict - Essay Example These have a history of resisting central control, and with historical ties to the territories, they occupy (Chenoweth and Lawrence 222). The problems experienced in Punjab mainly root from aspects that are associated with religion in the area. These attempted to separate the Shikhs from other ethnic communities in the area, for political gain. In the 20th Century, conflicts erupted when various new ideologies were developed among the Sikhs. These therefore, had required that the central government meets their demands, which were both religious and political. When the central government failed to meet their demands, tension built up in the 1980’s among Sikhs in Punjab and those in New Delhi. The Shikhs had sought a greater autonomy; for fear that, they were being assimilated into the greater cultural Indian and Hindu (Chenoweth and Lawrence 226). This led to massive violence, with detention of some Shikh leaders, as well as hundreds of the Sikhs. More than 3,000 civilians were killed, including troops, priests, and pilgrims. Sacred buildings were destroyed and political assassinations increased. The killing of Indira Gandhi by the Shikhs led to massive killings in New Delhi, claiming more than 2,000 lives. However, in 1985, a peace agreement was reached between the Indian government and the Shikhs. There followed a dismissal of the state government, and Punjab was put under president’s rule, which lasted up to 1992, when Beant Singh won the elections (Chenoweth and Lawrence 230). The Punjab violence of the 1990’s began when approximately 80 people were killed in two incidences of train bombings in 1991. In addition, the assassination of Beant Singh, the senior... This paper stresses that in the 1990’s during the new governance, the level of participation in conventional politics increased remarkably. The voter turnout for the municipal elections in September 1992 increased by 50 percent. In addition, voter turnout also was also high for gram panchayats in January 1993, and exceeded 70 percent. Generally, violence in Punjab declined during the years that followed. This report makes a conclusion that the government plays a critical role in different types of violence in a country. The involvement of the government in a conflict might result in either positive or negative consequences. The outcome of government intervention can only be positive, if it aims at ensuring fairness and equality of the involved parties. If fairness and justice is denied to either party, it is probable that the violence will escalate. In the case of Punjab conflict, there are two instances, where the government intervened differently. In the 1980’s conflict, violence was high because the central government denied the Sikhs their political rights. The government then resorted to an inappropriate way of solving the issue by killing the Sikhs, with some of their leaders. This led to increased violence. However, in the 1990’s when a new government took office, people were allowed to vote, unlike the 1980’s. In addition, the political participation of p eople was increased in various ways. Although elements of unfairness toward the Sikhs were still present, this could not compare to the 1980’s. Therefore, this quite fair involvement by the central government in the 1990’s led the level of violence to decrease in Punjab.

How to Calculate the Broadcast Address Assignment - 1

How to Calculate the Broadcast Address - Assignment Example Now you have to right click on the adapter and go to properties option. The Networking tab would be opened, not please select Internet Protocol version 4, press properties button. Please enter the IP address in the respective textbox 12.2.201.2, due to class ‘A’ network, the subnet mask would automatically be filled as 255.0.0.0. Â  The given IP address 211.106.32.0 falls into the class C range and the subnet mask of the Class C range is 255.255.255.0. We need to subclass the subnet mask 255.255.255.224, its equivalent bitmask in binary is 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000 (FF.FF.FF.E0). The next network address can be calculated as the first three parts 11111111.11111111.11111111 does not change; therefore the network address would be 211.106.32.32. Moreover, the broadcast address would be 211.106.32.63 (Answer), as the last IP in the subnet is ‘00111111’ equivalent to 63. It is calculated as the broadcast address = IP address | (! Subnet). In other words, you need the IP address or (operator) the inverted subnet (Pean, 2002). Â  The given IP address 131.34.0.0 belongs to class B (range of class B is 128.1.0.1 to 191.255.255.254 total 65,000 hosts on each of 16,000 networks). Keeping in view the given IP address, the range of the given host IPs is from 131.34.0.1 to 131.34.15.254, this becomes total 4096 IP addresses that also include network and broadcast addresses. The three ranges can include from 131.34.16.0 to 131.34.31.255, the second range can be from 131.34.32.0 to 131.34.47.255, the third and the final range can be from 131.34.240.0 to 131.34.255.255. Â  The bitmask of the given subnet mask 255.255.255.192 is FF.FF.FF.C0 (192 = C0, where C=1100, and 0=0000) and the IP address 152.19.0.0 belongs to Class B.

Define the utility of Katharine Kolcabas Comfort theory for Essay

Define the utility of Katharine Kolcabas Comfort theory for application to clinical practice using an actual clinical problem you observed - Essay Example This meeting of needs may be addressed physically, socioculturally, psychospiritually or environmentally. Whatever the means adopted, the ultimate aim is to reduce the discomfort of the patient which is perhaps the primary goal of any nursing care activity. Although it may be impossible to utilize all contexts (physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural or environmental) simultaneously; there is yet the possibility of utilizing the maximum modes possible, all aim at reducing discomfort while enhancing the feeling of comfort (Sitzman & Eichelberger, 2011). In my opinion, one of the main problems that are encountered in the clinical setting on frequent basis is the care of patients having impaired integrity of skin, especially those patients who are unable to move on their own and are therefore immobilized to a variable extent. This group of patients comprises a special population who are destined towards a slow decline in their health status if appropriate measures are not taken during the early stages of their illness. As skin is the main barrier between the external and internal environment of the body, any defect in this barrier is likely to expose the individual to a variety of pathogens that can not only infect the dermatological tissue, but also invade the body, affect other organs and destroy the homeostasis of the body ultimately resulting in an unfavorable outcome (Freinkel & Woodley, 2001). A gravely uncomfortable consequence of impaired skin integrity is seen in the form of development of pressure-sores in patients are immobilized for extended periods of time. These lesions result due to the presence of persistent pressure on certain areas of the body and can ultimately contribute towards the fatality of the disease for which a patient is under treatment. The intervention designed for the chosen problem includes a number of measures that are collectively

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Response - Essay Example If the mother will perish, no one will take care of the children and the children will also become casualties. The mother is equivalent to three full lives. If I would be questioned about her criminal record, my reply would be it is not my lot to judge people or punish people but rather to heal. My second priority is the six year old kid who will be blind and unable to walk if he survives. Now again, I may asked why not prioritize a child over a criminal. Again, my criteria of the order of treatment who would benefit the most of the medical care and not emotion. Our emotion may dictate us that a child should come first. But he would still not benefit that much of the medical care because he would still go blind and unable to walk even if he survive compare to the mother who has two dependents. This explains why the child is next to my order of priority of care. The sixty year old surgeon is the least of my priority. I may be asked that i should prioritize the surgeon because he or she is charitable. Again, it is not my lot to assess people but rather on who would benefit the most of medical care. The surgeon has already lived a full life compared to the mother who has two child dependents and the kid who has his full life ahead even if he would be

Machiavelli the Prince Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Machiavelli the Prince - Essay Example The people’s favor plays a chief responsibility in ensuring that princes remain in control of the realm. The kingdom, therefore, offers a lot of challenges to princes in order to stay in power since lack of community hold up leads to kingdom loss to preferred princes (Machiavelli 43). In regard to this problem, Machiavellian has proposed various ways in which princes and leaders in general should adopt to linger in power. The methods presented by the author are served to keep citizen support at all times both for the earlier leaders and leaders of today and tomorrow. However, despite the teaching of these methods in education institutions, most of the methods only apply for the case of the prince. The methods are specifically designed as tools for the prince’s selfish welfare. In the book, the author presents the question, and responses have been developed to criticize the thinker’s position, through various accounts presented by comparing it to the dangerous app roach of elitism. Presented Question The question presented by the thinker does not gyrate about what makes human good but rather what makes a compelling prince. The question has been perfectly answered by the writer through the application of the thinker ideologies. The ideologies are the methods that the thinker presents to the prince in an attempt to ensure the public remain on his side. The prince through the thinker must come up with stratagem to ensure loyalty from the masses, to keep the large population on his side. The issue brought about is that the prince has no regard for the human morality rather he cares more about retention of his realm. Critical Response The ideologies presented by Machiavelli can be regarded to be purely scientific. Machiavelli utilizes the classification system in which he treats kingdoms as the different species that have been prearranged into a political nomenclature. Machiavelli also provides suitable historical examples to back up his claims. H e exhibits his clear knowledge of past chronological events and develops the whole story through a clear argument. The prince has to uphold influence in his kingdom, and this necessitates the installation of fear into the citizens through various strict rules. However, while still maintaining power, the head has to take into thought the implications of the strict measures. The price has to install fear into the populace while still preventing an unnecessary cruelty since unnecessary cruelty may work against him. The prince has, therefore, to balance between cruelty and installation of fear as well as show respect to his subjects to prevent any unnecessary rivalries. The matter presented through the analysis, brings into light the idea that Machiavelli observes modest value in love, as well as the loyalty, that it might acquire from the populace. Machiavelli has the feeling that rulers have the obligation of making their citizens aware of their authority or powers (Machiavelli 38). T he author provides that competent princes have to establish themselves in their individual control of their realm instead of concentrating on other leaders. The author adds that the princes have to attempt to steer clear of hatred through any means possible. According to these statements, the author conveys the message that the rulers have to stay compact although they ought not to invite hatred because

States and Territories of India and Chandigarh Essay Example for Free

States and Territories of India and Chandigarh Essay Chandigarh is a city and union territory in India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as The Fort of Chandi. The name is derived from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, near the city.[3] The city of Chandigarh was the first planned city in India post independence in 1947 (pre-independence planned cities include Dispur in Assam, New Delhi in Delhi, Jaipur in Rajasthan, etc.) and is known internationally for its architecture and urban design. [4] The city has projects designed by architects such as Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and Maxwell Fry. The city tops the list of Indian States and Union Territories with the highest per capita income in the country at Rs.99,262 at current prices and Rs.70,361 at constant prices (2006–2007).[5] The city was reported in 2010 to be the cleanest in India, based on a national government study,[6] and the territory also headed the list of Indian states and territories according to research conducted using 2005 data by Human Development Index.[7] The Union Territory, Chandigarh lies in the foot of the Shivalik Ranges and shares its capital, Chandigarh city with that of Haryana and Punjab. Chandigarh finds Haryana in the East and Punjab in the North, West and South as its neighbours. After independence and partition of India in 1947, the capital Lahore of Punjab state had fallen in Pakistan and hence a need to construct a new capital was felt. Eventually, French Architect Le Corbusier was selected to design the new city, as a result of which, India saw its first planned city, Chandigarh, that acquired its name from the temple of Chandi (goddess of Shakti) and the adjoining garh (fort) to the temple. This cosmo-politan city, Chandigarh represents the flavour of modern India in its architecture, culture and life style. Well planned wide roads, spacious residential colonies and square markets take you to visit a completely different side of India which is affluent, systematic and serene unlike the metros and big cities of the country. The splendid view of Shivalik Hills guarding the city furtively is what makes Chandigarh even more charming.

Humanities Today Essay Example for Free

Humanities Today Essay This paper discusses the definition of humanities and differentiate between the humanities and other modes of human inquiry and expression. It also includes examples that reflect current developments in politics, socioeconomics, and examples in the following types of humanities; art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. Defining Humanities The humanities can be defined as knowledge that investigates the human experience, and studies human culture, such as the arts, literature, philosophy, history, including other human endeavors. Gaining knowledge from others’ records of the human experience offers us the  opportunity to feel a connection to other cultures and to those from the past, as well as with our contemporaries (Stanford University, 2015). Modes of Human Inquiry and Expression The difference between the visualization of humanity and the practical application of humanity is the understanding of the critical observation of what humanity should be as opposed to what humanity is. In other words, they focus on ideas and values, not just the creation or outcome of an action. Other modes of human inquiry include the study of non-human subjects like in mathematics or natural sciences and do not have much to do with the creative human  endeavors. The humanities are committed to studying the aspects of the human condition using a qualitative approach that normally prevent a single paradigm from defining any discipline. Some studies included in humanities can also be regarded as social sciences in other studies that include; communications, cultural studies, archaeology, and history. Examples of the Humanities HUMANITIES TODAY 3 Humanities are the experiences of the human being that can be visual, audible, and even felt by touch. They can be expressed through art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature.  Art Art include paintings, photography, sculptures, and architecture. The artist can express their emotions, cultural ideals, even political views through their work. There are many classic artists such as Michelangelo who are well renowned which will continue centuries after their time. Artists, like Michelangelo, were commissioned to produce for organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church (Drake, 2008). Michelangelo viewed himself as a sculptor and quite reluctantly took on the task of painting the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel. No doubt there was a  political agenda and at one point Michelangelo was accused of being a heretic because his work reflected disturbing, past events by the church. A contemporary example would be pop artist Andy Warhol. Beginning in the late 1970’s, Warhol created paintings that were abstract, which is an example of how humans have the ability to think conceptually. Now, art can be digitally mass-produced and distributed which creates a large market for sales and profits, although not necessarily for the artist. Music Music is a common form of expression used to communicate current trends, politics, technology and socioeconomics. The most common genre of music today that expresses all of these messages is hip-hop music. Specifically â€Å"Gangsta rap represents part of a larger focus on hip hop and politics that is popular within the media and among scholarly research and the prominence of gangsta rap in the late 1980s and early 1990s prompted the association between hip hop and violence that contemporary social scientists theorize† (Gilliam, 2007). Architecture HUMANITIES TODAY 4 There are several different methods within modernism style of architecture. The modernist style looks for function rather than trying to reproduce the natural environment. There are several forms within the modernism style they include: structuralism, formalism, Bauhaus, the international style, brutalism, and minimalism. The features of modernism includes the fact there is little embellishment or decoration, man-made supplies are used (metal and concrete). Architects in the 20th century include I. M. Pei. In the Early Twentieth-Century modern architects used materials such as ferroconcrete and structural steel in conjunction with the cantilever to build beautiful ensembles. Frank Lloyd Wright (1869-1959), was one of the first American architects of world significance. He introduced a new style. He combined the new technology of steel and glass with the aesthetic principles of Asian architecture [ (Fiero, 2006) ]. In 1909 Wright completed the Robie House in Chicago. This marked the beginning of a long career creating memorable masterpieces. Today most of these techniques have inspired many of the current styles enjoyed by millions. Philosophy Philosophy is defined as a â€Å"comprehensive system of ideas about human nature and the nature of the reality we live in and is a guide for living, because the issues it addresses are basic  and pervasive, determining the course we take in life and how we treat other people† (Thomas, 2005). Major philosophers of the 20th century include Carl Jung, Albert Camus, and Bertrand Russell. Literature Literature provides readers a written composition comprised of current or previous cultural issues. According to the Department of State’s website â€Å"Social and economic advances have enabled previously underrepresented groups to express themselves more fully, while HUMANITIES TODAY 5 technological innovations have created a fast-moving public forum† (U. S. Department of State, 2007). One example of a current piece of literature is the novel, The Kite Runner. The book was written by Khaled Hosseini and â€Å"tells of childhood friends in Kabul separated by the rule of the Taliban† (U. S. Department of State, 2007) Conclusion The study of humanities is an ever changing journey. Humanities will changes with the questions and expression about every generation to come. Humanities are unique in that a quest for the purpose and meaning of the human life is being sought. As time goes on, the study of humanities will be become broader, taking with it all the questions of yesterday. HUMANITIES TODAY 6 References Drake, C. (2008, November). Did Michelangelo have a hidden agenda? The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www. wsj. com/articles/SB122661765227326251 Fiero, G. K. (2011). The Humanistic Tradition Book 3: The European Renaissance, The Reformation, and Global Encounter. McGraw-Hill 6e Stanford University. (2015). Home of the Human Experience. Stanford University, Stanford, California. Retrieved from http://shc. stanford. edu/ Thomas, W. (2005). What is philosophy? Retrieved from http://objectivistcenter. org/cth409- FAQ_Philosophy. aspx.

Mentoring Is Where A Mentor Engages His Mentees To Learn Nursing Essay

Mentoring Is Where A Mentor Engages His Mentees To Learn Nursing Essay Executive Summary Throughout the study, the practical importance of the subject has been bore in mind. Mentoring is where a mentor engages his mentees to learn and reach their development goals. The Mentoring program is also a framework where both parties in a relationship can be supported in clarifying their roles and their objectives. It also provides a framework for the mentee to develop and learn alongside an experienced peer. The ultimate objective of the mentoring sessions was to facilitate the mentees to achieve their development goals. The mentor has helped the mentees to do this by arranging different activities on a weekly basis. The aim of the activities was to challenge the mentees to finally use their own initiative and help them understand the steps they need to take when solving a difficult problem. The mentor made clear at the start of the mentoring session as to what he will do, to avoid any disappointments. This reflective essay reports the outcome of an eight week mentoring session carried out with first year engineering students. The aim for the mentor was to help their transition from secondary education to higher education. This essay outlines the process the mentor developed to understand his mentees and the action he put in place to facilitate and challenge their learning. The essay reflects on the positive and negative aspects of the sessions and evaluates if the mentoring sessions were a success or not. Acknowledgements I would like to express my appreciation of Dr Roger Clarke He maintained a continual interest in my work, providing advice when required. I have appreciated not only his advice but also his encouragement and confidence in me which has inevitably allowed me to peruse this work with a level of independence that I had not anticipated. I would also like to thank my mentees Umar and Sohail who enabled to gain experience as a mentor. Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Learning is essential in allowing individuals to be successful. This concerns both our personal and professional lives. The process of learning begins on the day we are born, and continues all the way through our entire life. Mentoring is observed to be one of the best methods to enhance individuals learning and development (Klasen 2007). The purpose of mentoring is to encourage and support the mentees to administer their own learning in a way that they can maximise their potential, improve their performance develop their skills and become able to accomplish their career aspirations. 1.2 The Need for Mentoring Whittaker and Cartwright, (2000) postulate that the use of mentoring and other development methods reflect a widespread recognition of the limitations of classroom-based teaching. Whittaker and Cartwright, (2000) suggest that the later can be ineffective in various ways, notably the transferral of knowledge and skills. The hypothesis by Whittaker and Cartwright, (2000) is also echoed by Ragins and Cotton, (2000) as from their own experience they believe that students can forget as much as thirty five percent of classroom-style learning before they leave the learning situation. Within a month, more than seventy percent of the learning can be forgotten and in the long term, little of the learning is either remembered, or transferred. In contrast to that, mentoring can be seen as an effective method of enhancing the development of individuals, precisely because it typically improves both learning retention as well as the transfer of the learned information to real life situations. 1.3 Objectives of the Mentoring Sessions The purpose of the mentoring sessions is to support and encourage the mentees to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, and improve their performance which consequently facilitates their transition from secondary education to higher education. In saying that, it cannot be overemphasised that the mentors task will be to merely assist the mentees in making these transitions, not to do the work for them! The mentor will enable his mentees to learn from their past successes and failures, and encourage them to engage in self-determined learning and to find their own solutions. Chapter 2 Mentoring Process 2.1 Three Stage Process The whole point of the mentoring process was to create a reflective environment in which the mentee can address issues of career and personal growth. The role of the programme is to support the mentoring process, and that in turn demands effective programme processes. The model adopted to facilitate the mentoring process is a three stage process applied to mentoring in Alred, Garvey and Smith (2010). The application of this process will give a shape to the mentoring sessions. The process is depicted in figure 1 below. Figure Three stage process model Alred et al (2010) The application of this process will enable the mentor to take a democratic approach rather than an autocratic. The reason for this approach is because the mentor does not want to dictate the agenda of the meeting, let alone the issues to be discussed. The main focus needs to be on his mentees: it is the mentees needs that ultimately determine the content and order of the meetings. The idea is that through appropriate exploration, new understanding is gained and then actions can be considered in relation to the understanding. The three stage process will also be viewed as a map of mentoring. A map that shows the mentor the way and facilitates the mentor of this report to plan a route. The process will become a valuable tool so that both the mentor and mentee understand what is happening. In short the process will allow the mentor to: Help the mentee to identify and raise their issues and other needs. Provide guidance so as to keep the meeting focused and productive. Enable them to become an independent, enthusiastic learner. 2.2 Exploration Understanding the mentees and their situation was vital because their problems can only be correctly identified, and a tailored personal development plan (PDP), detailing the mentees goals and objectives can be designed. As both the mentees were not clear about what aims they seek to achieve. Identifying these is of course, an ongoing process; however, the mentor through questioning prompted the mentees to evaluate their needs and objectives. What would you like to talk about in the mentoring session? What activities would you like to take place? What would you like to achieve in these session? What skills would you like to develop? What module in specific would you like extra help with? The answers to these questions which are depicted in figure 2, however, are not set in stone. To the contrary, the mentor realises that the relevance of the goals and objectives may change over time. This process was also supplemented through the use of one Myer-Briggs-Type indicator self-assessment questionnaires (See Appendix). It was imperative to allow the mentees the freedom to take responsibility for this process and put together their own PDP without the mentor pointing to needs and goals in an attempt to speed up the progress. This process was vital for the mentor as he wanted to send out consistent messages: after all, the learning relationship is supposed to centre on the mentees agenda, and from start to finish the mentee ought to be in control. PDP depicted in figure 2. A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS A3 PDP ANWERS 2.3 New Understanding Understanding his mentees was vital for the mentor to make the relationship work. As explained in Chapter 1, learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills and understanding. However, the way people embark on this process varies greatly. According to Honey and Mumford, (1983), who have based their model on work by Kolb, (1984) there are four disparate types of learning styles: activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist. For the mentor to be successful in developing his mentees, a learning styles questionnaire was completed by his mentees (See Appendix for LSQ). The results from the questionnaire facilitated the mentor in knowing his mentees learning styles and adjust their development efforts to these. Adapting to the mentees learning style will also allow the mentor to help his mentees to identify those learning opportunities from which they are likely to benefit from. This would be mainly such that they correspond to his mentees preferred style. For example, both the mentees were identified as pragmatists and should learn best in situations in which they can apply their learning to actual practice to see if they work. In respect to that the mentor encouraged the mentees to use the other learning styles, particularly the one least preferred; this is because according to Parsloe and Wray, (2000) the best learning occurs only when an individual passes through all four stages of the learning cycle. 2.4 Action Planning From the exploration stage of the mentoring process it became evident, as to what had attracted the mentees to the mentoring relationship. Their responses from the questionnaire and the identification of development needs listed in their PDP included the need to carry on informal mentoring in a formal manner and the desire to focus on the self and develop in a relationship with an experienced peer. The need to gain different perspectives, learning opportunities and the general enjoyment of mentoring were further noted. These comments reflect an Egocentric dimension of attraction to mentoring. For the mentor, he was attracted to mentoring in relation to the need and desire to pass on their experience (in and out of the academic environment) and to encourage and explore the potential of the mentee. Learning from their mentees were further reasons for relationship engagement. Both Egocentric and Altruistic comments reflected the mentors attraction to mentoring. In order to endeavour theses comments and the mentees individual PDPs the mentor came up with a list of activities. These were aligned with his mentees goals and will support their achievements. List of these activities planned by the mentor are catalogued in table 2. By creating different activities the mentor created a stepping-stone approach to achieving the mentees final goals; they were designed to move mentees gently forward, allowing them to make accomplishments as they go along. According to Kram, (1983) creating such short term successes is a good means by which to build the mentees self-confidence and motivation, inevitably facilitating their progress through the course and university life. WEEK ACTIVITY WEEK3 (1) Ice breaker (Jenga) (2) develop PDP (3) List activities that can fulfil PDP WEEK4 (1) Career workshop: Placement, CV, Gradcarcker, ICE and information how to contact Placement officer WEEK5 (1) Tutorial session: AutoCAD and engineering computation WEEK6 (1) Surveying exercise led by James Haigh WEEK7 (1) Presentation and report writing workshop WEEK8 (1) Talk with Mr J.Philby: has 30 years experience in industry. Both of his sons are engineers one working for MACE. Will give mentees chance to ask questions and gather information on the engineering industry WEEK9 (1) Fluids Laboratory tour: Will also show mentees different types of flow regimes i.e. Turbulent, laminar, transitional and hydraulic jump WEEK10 (1) Examination workshop: Provide technique on exam preparation Table 2 Week-by-week schedule of activities planned for the mentees 2.4.1 Mentoring Contract Once it was established what both parties intended to achieve from the mentoring sessions, an agreement on how best they can work together was established. A mentoring contract was created by the mentor to facilitate him in defining the ground rules for the relationship, and assist him in keeping the mentoring relationship on track; each party now clearly knows what their individual responsibilities and roles will be. The key purpose of the contract was to avoid any future disappointments and to gain commitment from the mentees and mentor. A further aim was to clearly communicate what was expected from each person within the relationship. Table 2.1 details characteristics of the mentoring contract by the two mentees and the mentor. Chapter 3 Outcomes of Mentoring 3.1 What has worked Week three, exploration and planning: Key benefits for the mentee included having the opportunity to review their development objectively in a supportive environment, addressing work-life balance issues, developing their own PDP and developing to the requirements of further higher education. In contrast, personal outcomes included developing a sense of perspective and gaining confidence. Week four, careers workshop: Highly successful and was valued by both mentees. Gaining insight into the Civil Engineering industry and recognising the main differences between a contracting engineer and a consulting engineer. The discussion also allowed the mentees to re-confirm that engineering is an excellent profession with endless opportunities. Week five, AutoCAD and engineering computation tutorial: Again both mentees worked very well both individually and as a group. They supported each other well and have been able to bring considerable knowledge to the sessions. They have retained their enthusiasm and are keen to carry on attending the mentoring sessions Mentors work: The mentor reports learning with his mentees, developing and expanding his management styles and developing mentoring skills, as important professional benefits resulting from the mentoring experience. Furthermore, understanding different approaches to learning, achieving high levels of self-development and developing awareness the mentees were additional benefits. Personal benefits included becoming friends, enjoying the exchange and developing a new awareness of academic issues and the way to resolve them. 3.2 What has not worked so well Week six surveying exercise: Both mentees showed little interest in the surveying exercise. The reason for this cannot be understood as it was an activity that they were looking forward to the previous week. There was no sense of awkwardness between the two mentees as they both supported each other in setting up the surveying equipment. Week seven-to-ten: There was no mentees to mentor, understandably as their workload increases they had to prioritise their time. However, for the mentor he reports frustration with the mentees development, time demands and mentees own poor priority structure. Furthermore the mentor reports being exasperated at the fact that after spending time creating a mentoring contract that both the mentor and his mentees can adhere to the mentees have not taken the initiative to respond to the mentors email and give him an explanation to the reason for their absence, knowing very well the mentor has arranged an activity that they agreed to. Mentees work: The main problems for the mentees included time and workload demands, low preparation time, the amount of effort required for constructive engagement, slow personal development and poor goal establishment. 3.3 Measurement Categories After week 6 the interest the mentees were showing seemed to have become obsolete. There was no attendance in the following weeks and there was no reason given through the various contact mediums we established. In terms of what to assess, the simple answer was to revisit the original proposal for mentoring and pull out the objectives for the programme to establish the reason the mentoring experience has not gone the way as was planned. 3.3.1 Mentoring organisation: To maximise the time and productivity of both parties, the meeting works best when it is organised. The mentor wanted this regimented style because chaos and a lack of focus can decrease the mentees desires to meet with the mentor and further decrease their abilities to effectively work with him. Having an organised flow for the meetings also gave the mentor the opportunity to be flexible. As on some occasions the mentees raised unexpected issues however, it was easier to adjust the conversation when everyone was following a track. Was this style to regimented, agreeing to a mentoring contract of what is expected by each mentee too disciplined? To be honest you will never know. According to Murray and Owen, (1991) mentoring is successful when the mentor has an organised plan which allows both the mentor and mentee to understand what is going to happen and when. This also removes the possibility of any disappointments from the mentoring sessions. 3.3.2 Learning Styles: Through the LSQ it was understood that the mentees preferred learning style was a pragmatic approach rather than an activist theorist or reflector. Knowing this the mentor arranged an activity like the surveying exercise in week 6. Could it now be argued that he is to blame for the absence and lack of interest shown by the mentees? Well the mentors answer to that is no. The mentor new very well the preferred learning style of his mentees however, he wanted his mentees to use the other three learning styles, particularly the one least preferred; this was because the best learning occurs only when an individual passes through all four stages of the learning cycle. So for example the surveying exercise would have suited an activist as the exercise created a situation in which they were simply confronted with a new task without preparation. 3.3.3 The relationship: As mentioned earlier chapter the purpose of the mentor was that the mentees take control of what they want to happen. This was vital for the mentor as he wanted to send out consistent messages: after all, the learning relationship is supposed to centre on the mentees agenda, and from start to finish the mentee ought to be in control. The way the mentor understood it was that the aspects of informal mentoring involve efforts to facilitate mentees do for themselves. The emphasis was on mentees being able to solve problems, make decisions, and set plans at their own levels of responsibility-versus being dependant on the mentor for the answers. The mentoring approach adopted followed the old adage Give a man a fish, and the man will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. So taking this approach the mentor made the mentees to put together their own PDP. This gave the mentees the freedom to take the responsibility for this process. So was this the wrong approach, should the mentor have taken responsibility and treated the mentees like children? Well my role was to facilitate their transition and guide them through their 1st year, not to do the work for them. The mentor was there as an experienced guide. Obviously he gave insight into his own experiences and went through the problems they were having but wanted his mentees to take the initiative and responsibility. 3.3.4 Mentor behaviour, Telling: Even if it was comfortable for the mentees to be told what to do without having to think and decide, personally too much direction defeats the aim of mentoring. For example the mentees required the mentor to help them solve mathematic tutorial questions. The mentor developed his own problem and solved it to show the mentees the technique they need to apply. If the mentor was too autocratic the mentees growth towards self-reliance is not supported. Furthermore, if the mentor pushed his own agenda and did not actually focus on the needs, of his mentees then this renders the mentoring process worthless. Was this again the correct procedure or should the mentor have solved the problem the mentees were having? Not sure here really. The mentor saw this as an opportunity to use his mentees learning style to solve the problem. Apply the problem to a different situation from which the mentees can see the technique, procedure and relevance. Were these the reasons as why the mentees disengaged from the mentoring sessions? Was the mentor to disciplined and strict? Was he following a mentoring process too much that he was not able to see he was alienating his mentees? Should he just have told them what to do and give them the answers to the problems they were having? To be totally honest the mentor does not know. The mentor was acting like a mentor and trying to guide his mentees to take responsibility, thats the aim of higher education, the mentoring was just a process that would facilitate and lighten up this transition. 3.4 The Re-appearance of the Mentees Wait a minute what have we here. In week 11 and 12 both mentees arranged more than 1 meeting time in the two weeks. In total the amount of hours spent with the mentees within the last two weeks was more than the entire 10 week schedule that we had planned. So what was the reason that both of them re-developed contact, even though the mentor sent weekly emails outlining the schedule of the session just to see no show and no interest in returning a quick email for apologies? The reason for the contact was that they both were struggling with coursework for engineering computation and visualisation. Both of which were very challenging compared to when the mentor had read them. The mentor had no problem in helping the mentees through this challenge. It was more interesting as there were things that the mentor got to learn in the process. Engineering computation: As the coursework is all based on Matlab the mentees were having difficulty in understanding how to programme Matlab to do various tasks. The mentor himself a novice outlined he would be of no help as he himself is new to the software. However, the sessions were interesting as both the mentor and mentees learnt how to programme the software by helping each other. The same with visualisation the introduction of digital mapping and civil 3D is totally different to what we have done. The mentor applied all the knowledge he had of the programmes to assist the mentees. Here the mentor forgot about the mentoring models and processes and just showed them how to go about doing it and at the same time learning himself. The sessions seemed more rewarding and both mentees were fully engaged in the process of learning and helping each other. 4.0 Final Conclusion So in the end was this mentoring?, the mentor agrees that the first three sessions were in the essence of mentoring however, in weeks eleven and twelve the mentor mentee relationship became very different. The mentor believed the point of mentoring was to develop a mentee to accomplish their goals and facilitate the mentee into developing skills that they outlined in their PDP. If general help when a person is stuck on tasks is mentoring then the mentor has been mentoring for years. Showing his fellow colleagues how to solve problems is that classified as mentoring or developing a colleague through like a graduate scheme where the mentor analyses the mentee in order to see their progress and enable them to progress higher in the company or to see if they are ready to take professional exams? I personally think it is the later. However, with that said the experience has been invaluable and will help the mentor in his future endeavours. 5.0 References Alred, G. and Garvey, B. (2010) Mentoring pocketbook. 3rd Edition, Management pocketbooks Ltd Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1983). Using your learning styles. Peter Honey Publications Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning. 1st Edition, Prentice Hall Kram, K. (1983). Phases of mentoring relationships. Acad. Man. J., 26 pp 608-25 Klasen, N. and Clutterbuck, D. (2007) Implementing mentoring schemes. 2nd Edition, Elsevier Ltd Murray, M and Owen, M. (1991) How to facilitate an effective mentoring programme. 1st Edition, Jossey Bass Ltd Parsloe, E and Wray, M. (2000). Coaching and mentoring-Practical methods to improve learning. Korgan Page 1st Edition Ragins, B. R. and Cotton, J. L. (2000) Marginal mentoring: the effects of type of mentor, quality of relationship, and program design on work and career attitudes. Acad. Man J., 43, pp 1177-94 Whittaker, M. and Cartwright, A. (2000) The mentoring manual, Gover Publishing Ltd

Training Environment :: essays research papers

Using your Training Environment Tips for survival Your training environment is the most essential and important element of your presentation. It is the difference between a good presentation and one that will keep the participants asking for more. The five most important features of your training environment will be: 1. White Board 2. Flipchart 3. Projector 4. Space 5. Body Language A good presenter uses his training environment in the most effective and coordinative way possible. Here are a few tips that will help you use your training environment in a more effective manner, while giving presentations. White Board The white board is your medium of writing and projecting the presentation. In the modern world, white boards have revolutionarized and have added features in built such as a play, pause and stop button for you presentations and images. They can be connected to your projector to run your presentation more effectively and easily. But as much as technology may change, the basics of the white board will stay the same, and they are: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leave margins on the corners of the board. Do not fill up the board too much especially around the corners. Keep a spacing of 5 inches from the left/right and top/bottom corners of the board. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Always use a non-permanent marker on the white board. This ensures easy reusability of the board at various levels. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The color of the markers should be bright and solid. Do not use faint markers as they are not clearly visible. The purpose is easy visibility, not the formality of writing. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The letters should be at least  ½ â€Å" high and should be in capital letters. Caps case is easier to read. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Use a variety of color markers for highlighting and adding variety to what is written on the board. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When using the white board as the projection screen make sure is cleaned and has no patches of ink. If you have written over the projection on the board then ensure that you wipe it before proceeding to the next slide. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do not stand in front of the board if there is something written on it. Flip Chart The flip chart is your medium of that extra unit of writing and displaying your points. It is often termed as the trainers â€Å"companion†. The flip chart is mostly used as a tool for writing or illustrating points that are a part of the presentation, but may or may not be a part of the power point slides. Some key tips for using the flip chart are:

Social Networking: Beneficial or Harmful? :: Social Networking Essays

With the advancement in technology in a short matter of time it has impacted the world in many ways such as how the world communicates and our life styles. One of the many revolutionary inventions or evolutions is called social networking sites (SNS). Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and many more, are where people gather in the internet, create a personalized profile about themselves, and interact with people around the world. With the lack of parental supervision between the ages of fourteen to seventeen, which makes one of largest demographics using social networking sites, these teens could be subjected to mature elements. Young teens between the ages of fourteen to seventeen should not be allowed to have a profile on social networking sites because they do not have the capability to make proper logical decisions. With the level of exposure that teens are facing today by joining the social networking trend, they often forget the dangers of social networking such as stalkers and pedophiles, who may use the sites as a major tool of the trade. Said dangers can befriend naà ¯ve teens and lure them into dangerous situations. For example, Raymond Wang had a friend being stalked by an unknown person through one of the social networking sites. This stalker acquired private information about her via Facebook, and it got to the point where the stalker was sending her threatening or perverted letters to her actual mailbox detailing what he would do to her. â€Å"This has really affected her a lot because now she’s scared other stalkers might do the same and she doesn't want that to happen or have anything happen to her.† (Wang 19) Even though users are given the option to make one’s profile private, there is still the looming threat that stalkers are able to gather enough informati on about the person’s whereabouts. Another similar incident happened to Regina Chau, a member of a social networking site catered to the raver lifestyle, Plurlife. When she first joined with her offline friends she liked everything about the SNS, but â€Å"[where] most of the people you accept to your friends list would probably be strangers.† (Chau 18) she had befriended a person she did not know offline and one these â€Å"friends† got a little too friendly with her; â€Å"he would keep asking over and over if I wanted to meet up with him at the next event. I found this a little creepy and did not message him back after that. Social Networking: Beneficial or Harmful? :: Social Networking Essays With the advancement in technology in a short matter of time it has impacted the world in many ways such as how the world communicates and our life styles. One of the many revolutionary inventions or evolutions is called social networking sites (SNS). Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and many more, are where people gather in the internet, create a personalized profile about themselves, and interact with people around the world. With the lack of parental supervision between the ages of fourteen to seventeen, which makes one of largest demographics using social networking sites, these teens could be subjected to mature elements. Young teens between the ages of fourteen to seventeen should not be allowed to have a profile on social networking sites because they do not have the capability to make proper logical decisions. With the level of exposure that teens are facing today by joining the social networking trend, they often forget the dangers of social networking such as stalkers and pedophiles, who may use the sites as a major tool of the trade. Said dangers can befriend naà ¯ve teens and lure them into dangerous situations. For example, Raymond Wang had a friend being stalked by an unknown person through one of the social networking sites. This stalker acquired private information about her via Facebook, and it got to the point where the stalker was sending her threatening or perverted letters to her actual mailbox detailing what he would do to her. â€Å"This has really affected her a lot because now she’s scared other stalkers might do the same and she doesn't want that to happen or have anything happen to her.† (Wang 19) Even though users are given the option to make one’s profile private, there is still the looming threat that stalkers are able to gather enough informati on about the person’s whereabouts. Another similar incident happened to Regina Chau, a member of a social networking site catered to the raver lifestyle, Plurlife. When she first joined with her offline friends she liked everything about the SNS, but â€Å"[where] most of the people you accept to your friends list would probably be strangers.† (Chau 18) she had befriended a person she did not know offline and one these â€Å"friends† got a little too friendly with her; â€Å"he would keep asking over and over if I wanted to meet up with him at the next event. I found this a little creepy and did not message him back after that.

Lenovo’s Promotional Information Essay

To create a brand is a difficult and expensive task but to build a brand with worldwide influence is even more difficult and is often associated with huge risks. Research shows that only 25% of new products/brands generate more than $7.5 million in sales in their first few years and even fewer are able to generate enough revenue to keep them on market for long. Lenovo continues to build brand awareness through aggressive marketing and new product promotions. Lenovo uses this promotional mix to strategically penetrate new markets worldwide as well as to sustain its position as a global leader and to continue growth over the long term. Investment in brand awareness through Lenovo’s recent â€Å"For Those Who Do† promotional campaign has proven fruitful, helping the company establish a foothold in the U.S. market among the top five PC vendors. Lenovo is investing aggressively in new products such as Ultrabooks and all-in-one PCs, allowing it to rapidly adapt to changes in the marketplace and to consistently meet the ever-changing demands of its customer base. Promotion and IMC Promotion is an important and integral part of marketing process. To be successful, a producer must not only offer a good product at a reasonable price but also inform potential customers about the product and where they can buy it. The overall range of tactics available to a producer is known as the ‘promotional mix’ and comprises of advertising, sales promotion, publicity, sponsorship, direct marketing, internet marketing and personal selling. In addition to these key promotional tools, its marketing team also relies on other techniques, such as exhibitions and product placement in movies, songs or video games, which have gained in popularity in recent years. The promotional mix used by Lenovo is aligned with the decisions made with regard to product, pricing and distribution and different promotional methods that handle different parts of the job. Determining to blend these together is a strategy decision that should be kept consistent to communicate its beneï ¬ ts to a target market. Lenovo’s uses a variety of techniques to effectively communicate its products to its target market. Their promotions come in the form of coupons, instant savings, and online rebates. Lenovo is informing, persuading and reminding customers of their products and educating them in deciding on their available choices. Lenovo continues to build consumer interest which helps build favorable impressions of the company and its products. Theme and Positioning Statement The positioning theme of Lenovo is â€Å"We are for those who do.† Lenovo’s mission is to bring affordable innovative products for its customers. Lenovo’s vision clearly states â€Å"We are now one company with one goal: To build the best, most innovative products in the world. To use world-class economies to put new and better technology in the hands of more people, by innovating on cost the same way we innovate on technology. To focus our energy and our commitment on the success and trust of our customers.† Though a lot has changed in the recent years, however, Lenovo has always remained true to its mission statement. Promotion Blend Lenovo is increasing its brand awareness by campaigning, including social media, design, branded content, retail experience, event and strategic engagement and partnerships. The company sponsored the annual HopSotch independent music fest, and was a tech partner with â€Å"Transformers 3† and even showed up at Fashion Week in New York with designer partnerships and the Lenovo Lounge. In the U.S., the campaign kicked off with a 60-second TV spot that laid out their â€Å"do† theme, while smaller, subsequent campaigns focused on specifics such as its rapid boot technology. In one advertisement, Lenovo throws a PC out of an airplane and it must â€Å"save itself† by booting up quickly and deploying a parachute. Salespeople In today’s fast paced world, where the electronic and print media are having huge influence on everybody’s life, a product or service cannot survive without proper promotion. Personal selling is an extremely important part of this promotional mix. Sales are divided into three main tasks: order-getting, order-taking and supporting. Depending upon the situation a salesman can performs all these duties. A good salesperson should be knowledgeable about the products and its competitive environment. In many situations salesman can also answer questions about what promotion should be directed toward the final consumer. Lenovo’s salespeople handle most of the important communication with wholesalers and retailers. Additionally, Lenovo uses sale promotions not only to focus on best profit potential but also to give itself a competitive advantage in the market. A good customer service not only builds brand loyalty but also acts as a promotion because often satisfied customers share their experience with their friends and family. Therefore, building a long term relationship and trust with its customer base is very important part of product selling. Sales Promotions for Channel Members/Customers/Employees Promotions are important part for any marketing campaign, as it directly influences customers. In order to be effective a promotion should be able to persuade, inform and remind its customer base of the benefits of its marketed product. Lenovo uses promotions to motivate employees to provide better customer service or achieve higher sales. Lenovo has a special birthday rewards program and each employee is emailed on the 1st day of the month prior to their birthday thanking them for their contribution to the success of the business and asking them to log onto Lenovo’s branded website using their unique user name and password to order their gift online. Recently, Lenovo also shared a $3 million bonus that they received of increasing success with its junior-level employees. Lenovo awarded CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading supply chain companies its Innovation and Operations Excellence award for the second year in a row in North America. This award recognized CEVA’s efforts around freight consolidating and optimizing transportation resulting in substantial cost savings. Lenovo also has year around online promotions available for its customers. Push and Pull Strategy Lenovo distributes with push strategy that involves selling into channel intermediaries like large retailers, wholesalers and it is also reliant on personal selling and trade promotions. Its promotional efforts like personal selling, advertising and sales promotion helps sell the whole marketing mix to its channel members. Lenovo also distributes using a pull strategy which relies on customer demands that pulls the product through the channel. Lenovo’s uses both push and pull strategy in combination to promote its products to large business customers as well as to individual final consumers. Lenovo’s highly aggressive promotion to final consumers using coupons or samples, builds consumer interest and help them achieve higher sales of their products. Its informative and interactive website includes customer reviews and video demonstrations that help customers build favorable impressions of the company and its products. Recent Positive Publicity Lenovo continues to excel in the PC market and its products has achieved highest recognition among both its peers and customers. Recently Lenovo received 16 awards and honors highlighting its brand innovation, design and versatility in the PC industry at Top Industry Awards at 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. Additionally, Lenovo relies extensively on fundraising to enter into new markets and market new products. Eedoo Technology, the video gaming unit that is associated with Lenovo Group has raised tens of millions of dollars. Their gaming product, Ebox comes with 30 games built in and a set-top camera that can detect a player’s movements, according to the article. With this joint venture with a Chinese company, Lenovo not only hope to tap into Eedoo existing network within China but also hope that by including the games in the system they can cut down on the rampant piracy that is prevalent in the video game business in China. Interactive Media In order to be successful in towards highly competitive environment latest marketing trends and methods of communications are key to successful promotion strategies. Recently, Lenovo implemented a YouTube strategy, they created a competition called ‘Seize The Night,’ asking 15 finalists to create an alternative ending to the following video with the winner determined by most views. One of the contestants, Joshua, organized and filmed a massive cycle ride in London using a Lenovo laptop. Featuring hundreds of cyclists, the video has quickly taken off, going viral and spreading the Lenovo brand for free. This campaign has been very successful to Lenovo as it gained hundreds and thousands of YouTube views and followers without doing any marketing on its own. In addition, it is comparatively cheap and gains a much higher return on investment. Their YouTube campaign was extremely successful and has now become a must read case for all business people. Here is the link to the videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_119513&feature=iv&src_vid=xGtBPlPqIFQ&v=OoXr6sQlaRk and the responding video by the contestant Joshua is following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGtBPlPqIFQ&feature=player_embedded#! References Lenovo Reveals ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Shakes Up Ultrabook Market Lenovo Reveals ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Shakes Up Ultrabook Market http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZNUxPiwMs http://wraltechwire.com/business/tech_wire/news/story/11335630/ http://www.cevalogistics.com/en-AU/aboutus/newsmedia/mediareleases/Pages/release_19_july_2012.aspx http://www.partnerinfo.lenovo.com/partners/br/pt/entitled/LENOVO%20COOKBOOK_V1.5_FINAL.pdf http://news.lenovo.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=1557 http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120113005747/en/Lenovo-Receives-Top-Industry-Awards-2012-International http://www.lenovo.com/social_responsibility/us/en/Lenovo_CSR_Fast_Facts.pdf

Title Anaylsis Painted Door

Title Sharon Sarai Block 4 In the story â€Å"The Painted Door† by Sinclair Ross the title is significant. The title is symbolic, it ties into the plot, and it sums up the main event. When Ann says, â€Å" ‘†¦It’s going to make the room a lot lighter’ † she is talking about brightening the bedroom door (49). We paint to bring change and improve upon an old appearance, it is clear that that is what Ann is trying to accomplish with not only her bedroom door, but her life as well.She thinks that she is embarking on a new adventure by bringing change into her home and painting the door white, but in reality she is just beginning a new adventure behind the door. The title also ties into plot and sums up the main event because the painted door is a very significant part of the story. If Ann had chosen not to paint her bedroom door she would have never known John made it home, because John would have never had the paint marked on him.Ann would have tho ught that John had just collapsed on his way home but the suspicion of suicide is confirmed after she finds the white paint on his palm, â€Å"On the palm, white even against its frozen whiteness, was a little smear of paint† (67). It could be by chance that a smear of paint coated John’s palm or it could be a way of allowing Ann to know that his death was no accident. The title of the story â€Å"The Painted Door† is symbolic, and relevant to the plot and main event of the story.

Is Democracy Still Relevant in Our Society?

ALBUKHARY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY JALAN TUN ABDUL RAZAK 05200 ALOR SETAR KEDAH DARUL AMAN MALAYSIA Students Details Name: Mohd Rafiq Bin Mohamad Mazlan Matric No: 111100075 Trimester/ Year: 2/ 2013 School: School of Business Assignment Details Course Title: Seminar on Current Affairs Course Code: SHH1013 Assignment title: Research Paper Topic: Is Democracy Still Relevant in Our Society? Declaration I hereby declare that this assignment is personal work, and does not involve plagiarism or collusion. MOHD RAFIQ MOHAMAD MAZLAN †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date: 05 APRIL 2013 Is Democracy Still Relevant in Our Society? 1. 0 INTRODUCTIONRecently, there are many political issues and problems that happened in some countries where the democracy system is applied. One such example is in Egypt and Syria. Therefore, the question that always arises in our mind, is democracy still relevant in our society? Based on the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Democracy means a system of government in which everyone in the country can vote to elect its members. Even though some parties say that democracy is not relevant in our society nowadays, I personally take a stand to say that democracy is still relevant as it brings many benefits to us in terms of economics and politics. . 0 PROBLEM DEFINITION The main purpose for me to choose this this topic is because it is based on my current observation. From what I observed, I have seen many countries which apply the system of democracy in their country are far more developed than those countries which use other form of Government. What are the realities behind the democracy system? Does it still applicable to some countries and what are the benefits, advantages or even advantages of having this system in a country? Those are questions that always arise if we discuss about democracy system.Therefore by doing this research paper, it is hoped tha t the concept of democracy system will be clearer to us by comparing it in two different aspects which are the advantages and disadvantages of democracy to a country. For this research paper, I have used a method where the arguments are divided into three parts and in each part, there will be advantages and disadvantages of democracy system with some supporting details. 3. 0ARGUMENTS 3. 1ARGUMENT I It is no doubt that democracy does bring many benefits and advantages to a country but at the same time it does also bring some negative effects on economy of a country.From Acemoglu and Robinson, an MIT economist and a Harvard political scientist, they mentioned that democracy in economics lead to inequality of economy to the citizens. Besides that, from an article, ‘Why Democracy Is Wrong’, it mentioned that democracy has brought inequality to some countries. In this article, it mentioned that democracy has failed to eliminate inequality at global level and it also mentione d that in some democratic states, there is inequality of wealth and income.In addition, from a research paper, ‘Democracy and Economic Development’ by Adam Przeworski, from Department of Politics, New York University, he mentioned that democracy in a country does not guarantee a country to be a developed country as he gave one example in Mali where back in 1985, Mali faced a financial crisis and had a low per capita income of $532 and the same problem happened in France where on the same year France had per capita income of $12206 and grew at the rate of 1. 43 percent. On the contrary, democracy is not a primary factor that makes a country to have a financial crisis. I do not believe that democracy necessarily leads to development. I believe that what a country needs to develop is discipline more than democracy† (Lee Kuan Yew cited in The Economist, August 17,1994, p. 15). From a book, ‘Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy’, it mentioned tha t democracy has helped one country to be a developed and one such example given is Singapore. Singapore was ranked in the first position by Bloomberg Businessweek in 2009 as the most competitive country in the world.In addition, from a book written by Rainer Heufers, ‘The Politics of Democracy in Malaysia’, she mentioned that democracy is one of the factors that have helped Malaysia in terms of economics to be one of the most fastest growing counties in this region. (Kurzman, Werum, and Burkhart, 2002) mentioned that democracy is good for investment and at the same time it has a positive effect on economic growth as it grows in a climate of liberty, free-flowing information, and property rights secure from the arbitrary power of the state. . 2ARGUMENT II Democracy also plays a significant role in maintaining a good and a stable political condition in one country. On the other hand, it also brings some negative impacts in politics of a country. In an article written by M anali Oak, she mentioned that not all citizens are aware of the political scenario in their own country thus this somehow makes people making a wrong choice during election and from Christopher Ryan Maboloc, a Chair of the PhilosophyDivision at the Ateneo de Davao University, he mentioned that democracy in politics is weak because the elected party that has won the election does not guarantee a country to be a developed country in one term. And, from Alessandro Pellegata, a graduate from School in Social, Economic and Political Studies, Universita degli Studi in Milano, in his paper, he mentioned that democracy system may lead to higher political corruption compare to some dictatorships and autocracies. This is because some politicians or ministers in a country may have some hidden agendas for their own personal benefits and purposes.For example, from the annual review of corruption in Asia by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) in March 21, 2012, India as the worldâ €™s largest democracy country is listed as the most corrupted countries in Asia and this followed by Indonesia and Cambodia. However, on the other hand, democracy does help some countries in making their countries become stable. This is proven from an article by Tusha Gupta, where she mentioned that democracy helps in making a stable government as it is based on people’s trust and support.Again, she mentioned that democracy will make a country becomes a fair and a just country, as it is based on the principle of equality. This is because the ‘real democracy’ means the equality and freedom of all citizens and having equal access to legislative processes and are generally protected by a constitution (The Democracy Sourcebook, 2003). This can be proven from most of the countries where democracy is applied are developed countries. From World Bank in 2010, it stated that there are thirty two countries listed as developed countries and most of them are democracy co untries.A democracy country has three advantages. There are politically stable, economically stable and internationally stable. This is because most developed countries do not suffer from serious declines in economy and they do not have many problems such as wars with other countries because of the stability in politics and economics and this result to a peaceful country (Richard Bruce, 2011). 3. 3 ARGUMENT III In addition, democracy does in some ways give negative impacts on the moral and ethical aspects. From Tusha Gupta, she mentioned that democracy will lower the moral standard.This is because the candidates will use any kinds of ways even though the ways are considered as unethical as it is to ensure that they will win the election. One such example is money power works hand-in-hand to ensure that one will win and beat the competitors. Other than that, democracy could also give bad influence by the political parties. From an online article by Pearson, it mentioned political par ty is a component and fundamental of a democracy system but unfortunately sometimes the party members overlook the interest of the state for the benefit of their own party.In order to ensure that they will get the power, they will sometimes practise the immoral ways, inciting hatred and also spreading caste feelings. This will affect and give a bad impression on the national character. On the contrary, some academicians and politicians believe that democracy can help in making a good, moral and mature citizen. From Alexis de Tocqueville, a great French political thinker and philosopher, he mentioned that democracy is the first school of good citizenship. Citizens learn their rights and duties from birth till death in it.This is because democracy creates a proper environment for the development of personality instilling good habits among the citizens. From Mansi Chitransi (2009), he mentioned that democracy is part of a social responsibility towards their nation. This is a good moral value where people achieve the sense of contribution for their country through selecting the right people to lead the country. They will have the chance to speak out their views through voting. This will also create the feeling of belongingness towards their society and its well-being.From my personal opinion, democracy does bring benefits to the people of a country. Based on my experience, democracy creates a mature and wise person in thinking. This is because one of the elements in democracy is we are free to choose and to elect anyone to be our representative and in order to choose a person, we have to be really critical in our decision and be aware of the current situation so that we can choose the right person to run the government. 4. 0CONCLUSION In conclusion, democracy has been seen as a major influence in modernising a country. It is proven that democracy has changed many countries from a third orld country to be a first world country and it is proven by the article from T he Council on Foreign Relations, where it says that most democracy countries have performed well in Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita per year compared to autocracy countries such as North Korea and Cuba. And I am still fixed with my stand to say that democracy gives many advantages to a country in terms economics and politics even though it is no doubt that it also somehow have negative impacts. 5. 0REFERENCES: The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (5th ed. ). College Park, NY: Longman Acemoglu, D. Robinson, J. (2005). Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bruce, R. (2011). List of Developed Democracies and Why it Matters. Retrieved from http://richleebruce. com/economics/1st-world. html Council on Foreign Relations. (2003, March 19). The Relationship between Democracy and Development: Implications for Policy. Retrieved from http://www. cfr. org/democratization/relationship-between-democracy-development-implications-p olicy/p5778 Chitranshi, M. (2009, March 16). Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy. Retrieved http://www. articleswave. om/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-democracy. html Dahl, R. , Shapiro, I. and Cheibub, J. (eds) (2003) The Democracy Sourcebook (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press). Gupta, T. (n. d). What are the Main Challenges to Democracy?. Retrieved from http://www. preservearticles. com/2012051632246/what-are-the-main-challenges-to-democracy. html Heufers, R. (2002, October). The Politics of Democracy in Malaysia. Retrieved from http://www. asienkunde. de/articles/Malaysia2. pdf Is Democracy An Economic Liability?. (2011, July 6). Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/07/political-economy Kurzman, C. Werum, R. , Burkhart, R. E. (n. d). Democracy’s Effect on Economic Growth: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis, 1951-1980. Retrieved from http://kurzman. unc. edu/files/2011/06/Kurzman_Werum_Burkhart_SCID. pdf Maboloc, C. R. (2011, August 16). Poli tical Reform and Human Development. Retrieved from http://philippine-democracy. blogspot. com/2011/08/political-reform-and-human-development. html Munsyi Ahmed. (2010). Most Competitive Economies 2010. Retrieved from http://images. businessweek. com/ss/10/05/0519_most_competitive_countries_2010/2. htm Pellegata, A. (2009, September).The Effects of Democracy on the â€Å"Quality of Governance†. Evidence on the Capacity of Political Systems to Constrain Corruption. Retrieved from http://www. sisp. it/files/papers/2009/alessandro-pellegata-427. pdf Pereira, C. (2011, January 9). Political Institutions, Economic Growth, and Democracy: The Substitute Effect. Retrieved from http://www. brookings. edu/research/opinions/2011/01/19-political-institutions-pereira Political & Economic Risk Consultancy, Ltd. (2012, March 21). Asian Intelligence: Annual review of corruption in Asia. Retrieved from http://www. asiarisk. com/subscribe/exsum1. pdf Przeworski, A. n. d). Democracy and Economic Development. Retrieved from http://as. nyu. edu/docs/IO/2800/sisson. pdf Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board. (2012, April 11). Singapore Is Ranked First In The World As The City With The Best Investment Potential. Retrieved from http://www. edb. gov. sg/edb/sg/en_uk/index/why_singapore/singapore_rankings. html The Dilemma of a More Advanced Developing Country. (n. d). Retrieved from http://www. fas. nus. edu. sg/ecs/pub/wp/previous/PW2. pdf Why Democracy Is Wrong. (2006, May 13). Retrieved from http://web. inter. nl. net/users/Paul. Treanor/democracy. html